Cleaning devices for removing marine growth from ships&#39; hulls



y 1963 H. DE FINE BRANDT JOHANNESSEN 3,088,429

CLEANING DEVICES FOR REMOVING MARINE GROWTH FROM SHIPS HULLS Filed June 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: Harry de Fine Brandt Johannessen.

y 1963 H. DE FINE BRANDT JOHANNESSEN 3,088,429

CLEANING DEVICES FOR REMOVING MARINE GROWTH FROM SHIPS HULLS Filed June 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3 50 INVENTOR:

Harry de Fine Brandt Johannessen 3,088,429 CLEANING DEVICES FOR REMOVING MARINE GRGWTH FROM SHIPS HULLS Harry de Fine Brandt Johannessen, 3 Torgalmennlng, Bergen, Norway Filed June 28, 1961, Ser. No. 120,307 7 Claims. (Cl. 114-222) This invention relates to cleaning devices for removing marine growth from ships hulls of the type incorporating rotatable roller brushes and rotatable magnetic rollers, through the medium of which the device may be kept in running contact 'with the hull of the ship to be cleaned.

The main object of the invention is to provide a cleaning device of the aforementioned type, which can adjust itself readily to compensate for minor unevennesses and curvatures of a ships hull.

A further object of the invention is to make provision for compensating for wear of the roller brushes.

A still further object of the invention is to reduce the cost of cleaning ships hulls by enabling such cleaning to be carried out in the water and without docking the ship.

The cleaning device is adapted to be set against the ships hull at the desired level and positioned for the desired direction of travel by a frogman or diver and thereafter the frogman or diver is able to direct the device along suitable paths across the ships bottom. In dirty waters or when working in the dark it may be advantageous to mark the intended direction of travel of the device with fluorescent markers.

The improvements according to the invention are mainly characterized by mounting the roller brushes and the magnetic rollers in individual frames and providing means arranged to urge the roller brushes yieldingly towards the ships hull relatively to the magnetic rollers.

Further objects and characteristic features of the invention will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of the device as seen from one side,

FIGURE 2. is a side view of the device as seen from the opposite side to that from which FIGURE 1 is viewed,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detailed view of the cleaning device shown partly in longitudinal horizontal section and partly in plan and on an enlarged scale,

FIGURE 4 is a side view illustrating diagrammatically the manner of driving the brushes,

FIGURE 5 is a side view illustrating diagrammatically the manner of driving the magnetic rollers.

The general layout of the device is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings and depicts the device as comprising mainly two roller brushes 10, which are arranged parallel to one another at the opposite ends of a rigid outer frame 11 and pairs of magnetic rollers 12. These magnetic rollers 12 are arranged between the roller brushes and are mounted in the ends of a rigid inner frame 13, shown partly by broken lines.

One of the roller brushes It is shown in detail in FIGURE 3 and as illustrated therein comprises four adjacent sections, each having a cylindrical boss 14 carrying the bristles 15. Each of the said bosses 14 is provided with a central longitudinal hole of square section and through these holes arranged in alignment is passed a shaft 16 also of square section. One end of the said shaft 16 is engaged within a square hole in a pulley 17 rotatably mounted in a bearing 18 carried by the outer frame 11 while the other end of the shaft 16 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 19 on the opposite side of the ted States Patent O" 3,988,429 Patented May 7, 1963 outer frame 11 aforesaid. A cover 20, which normally protects the bearing 19 is removable whereby the shaft 16 may be pulled out through the bearing 19 in order to change the sections of the roller brush 10 as and when required.

The outer frame 11 consists of two side members 21 and two end members 22. The latter are arranged between the roller brushes 10 and the magnetic rollers 12 in such a manner that they form a protective shield around the roller brushes 10 for about one fourth of their circumference and thereby protect the gear of the inner frame 13 from contamination.

By means of two journals 23, which are carried eoaxially each one on opposite sides of the inner frame 13 and which are turnably mounted in a respective hearing block 24 in the opposite sides of the outer frame 11, said frame 11 together with the roller brushes 10 may move in relation to the inner frame 13 and the magnetic rollers 12, whereby the device adjusts itself during the travel of the device according to un-evennesses and to the curvature of the ships hull. Each bearing block 24 is grooved for a sliding movement in a slot 26 arranged at the relevant sides of the outer frame 11, said slots 26 being normal to the base plane of the device. Each bearing block 24 is movable towards the bottom of the relevant slot 26 in opposition to a spring 27 which normally urges the respective bearing block 24 toward-s a stop 28. The stop 28 is adjustable by means of a screw spindle 29 which carries a hand wheel and which is engaged within an internally screw-threaded guide 30 carried by the outer frame 11 whereby the effective spacing of the inner frame 13 in relation to the outer frame 11 may be adjusted.

Thus the pressure of the roller brushes against the surface to be cleaned may be adjusted as may be required when the brushes wear down.

By means of the spring-controlled arrangement of the bearing blocks 24, the outer frame 11, with the roller brushes 10, is held yieldingly outward (upwards in FIG- URES 1 and 2) in relation to the inner frame -13 and the magnetic rollers 12 so as to compensate for the unevennesses of the surface of the ships hull.

The construction of the magnetic rollers 12 is also shown in FIGURE 3. The object of the magnetic rollers =12 is primarily to keep the device in Working contact with the ships hull 31, and for this purpose each of the two magnetic rollers 12 consists of two discs 32 between which is located a magnetic core. The areas of the surfaces of the discs 32 which contact the ships hull 31 are suflicient to ensure a magnetic adhesion great enough to compensate both for the rotating cleaning force of the brushes against the ships hull and to avoid drift of the device due to sea currents etc, which may act upon the device while submerged in the sea.

Additionally the magnetic rollers 12 serve as drive wheels for which purpose they are keyed to a driving shaft 35 mounted in bearings 49 in the inner frame 13. As a result of the rotation of the roller brushes 10 forces may arise which may influence the intended path of travel of the device and tend to move the device laterally from its intended path of travel. To counteract this tendency the magnetic rollers 12 may be controlled individually or simultaneously either to turn or push the device laterally. In order to enable the magnetic rollers 12 to serve simultaneously as driving as well as steering rollers, the shaft 35 is constituted in two sections, namely a driving shaft section 35 and a steering shaft section 36. The drive shaft section 35 is coupled to the steering shaft section 36 by means of a universal coupling consisting of a part spherical head 37 which is secured to the outer end of the driving shaft section 35 and a boss 38 which in turn is secured to the inner end of the steering shaft section 36, said boss 38 accommodating the head 37 in a complementary part spherical recess 39. Two diametrically opposing spigots 4!) carried by the boss 33, only one of which is visible in FIGURE 3, are located in slots 41 in the head 37 on the driving shaft section 35. The torque is transmitted by the spigots 4t) and said spigots 40 will, when the steering shaft section 36 is inclined, travel to and fro in the slot 41. The steering shaft section 36 rotates in a bushing 42 the outer end of which is connected to one end of a link 43 whilst the other end is pivotally connected to the end of the shorter arm of a lever 44, the longer arm of which forms a handle (FIG- URE 2). The lever 44 pivots on a journal 45. By means of an adjusting member 46 the lever 44 and the journal 45 may be adjusted by frictional engagement in a way enabling the magnetic rollers 12 to be maintained in a set position in which the magnetic rollers 12 occupy a desired angular setting relatively to the device as a whole. The bushing 42 and the journal 45 with the lever 44 and the connecting arm 43 extend outwardly of the device through openings 47 in the outer frame 11 thus enabling steering of the magnetic rollers 12 during the pushing or rocking movement of the outer frame 11 in relation to the inner frame 13 caused by the rotation of the roller brushes 10 and the unevenness and curvature of the ships hull.

Connected to the steering shaft section 36 is an L- shaped arm 48 which is arranged to be moved between the ships hull 31 and the magnetic roller 12 in order to neutralise the magnetic force of the magnetic rollers 12 towards the ships hull when required.

The driving shaft section 35 is journalled in two bearings 49 in a compartment of the inner frame. The two magnetic rollers 12 are disposed approximately symmetrically about the central axis of the device whilst their width across the device is sufficient to keep the roller brushes 10 in a working position against the hull.

The inner frame 13 is formed as a hollow watertight housing containing an electric motor 50 with built-in reduction gear and most of the transmission gearing of the device. As the housing is Watertight it also acts as a displacement body for the purpose of keeping the device in balance in its submerged position, so that its centre of buoyancy will have substantially the same location as the centre of gravity of the device as a whole, in order that the load on the magnetic rollers 12 be as small as possible.

The drive means for the roller brushes 10 is seen in FIGURE 4. From the motor 50 the torque is transmitted to a first pulley 51 which by means of a belt 52 and an idler pulley 53 drives two pulleys 54 and 55 in opposite directions. The pulleys 54 and 55 drive the pulleys 56 and 57 respectively by way of shafts 58. By means of belts 59 the pulleys 56 and 57 drive each of the pulleys 17 which in their turn drive their respective roller brush 10, that is a front brush 61 and a rear brush 62. The roller brushes 61 and 62 turn in opposite directions, as shown by the arrows in FIGURE 4, namely in a direction outward from the ships hull and outward from the device.

It is preferred that only the driving gear associated with the pulleys 56, 17 and their belt 59 and the drive means associated with the pulleys 57, 17 and their belt 59 are not enclosed within the inner frame of the device. However, it is preferred to protect the said driving means by a cover 63. To permit the rocking movement of the outer frame 11 in relation to the inner frame 13, the shaft 58 with the belt pulleys 56 and 57 are mounted slidably in slots 64 of the outer frame 11. Those pulleys which are to work submerged in water are fitted with teeth along their circumference to maintain a good trans mission of power.

In FIGURE is illustrated diagrammatically means for driving the magnetic rollers 12. On the rotor of the motor 56 is keyed a pulley 65 which by means of a belt 66 and three intermediate pulleys 67 drives the two pulleys 68 which are keyed each one on their respective driving shaft section 35. This entire transmitting gear is enclosed in a watertight manner in the inner frame 13.

It may be preferable temporarily to reduce some of the buoyancy displacement of the watertight inner frame 13, so that it may be possible partly to flood the device with water and thus trim it and also eventually to blow out the water with a CO -cartridge in order to give the device a greater buoyancy to occasion a rising of the device in the water. It may also be practical to arrange for an emergency tank, which normally is filled with water and which has a built-in CO -cartridge and a membrane covered valve, so that the emergency tank may be freed from water in case the device unintentionally should sink below a predetermined depth. The device may thus easily be brought to the surface of the sea.

The magnetic rollers 12, which in the present embodiment are shown by way of example only, may easily be remagnetized by energizing them with electric current by means not shown or described herein.

As an alternative the magnetic rollers 12 may be electromagnets andthe expression magnetic rollers as used in the appended claims is to be interpreted as including both permanent magnets and electromagnets.

I claim:

1. A device for removing marine growth from ships hulls comprising an outer frame having end portions, rotatable roller brushes mounted at the end portions of said outer frame, an inner frame which is displaceable towards and away from the outer frame, magnetic driving rollers carried by said inner frame, a power source supported by said inner frame, means associated with said power source for imparting a rotary movement to the brushes and tothe magnetic rollers, and spring means between the inner and outer frames which causes the brushes to be urged yieldingly into contact with the ships hull while permitting the device to adjust itself automatically to follow the contour of the hull.

2. A device for removing marine growth from ships hulls comprising an outer frame having end portions, rotatable roller brushes mounted at the end portions of said outer frame, an inner frame which is displaceable towards and away from the outer frame, magnetic driving rollers .carried by said inner frame at least one of which steerable, a power source supported by said inner frame, means associated with said power source for imparting a rotary movement to the brushes and to the magnetic rollers, and spring means between the inner and outer frames .which causes the brushes to be urged yieldingly into contact with the ships hull while permitting'the device to adjust itself automatically to follow the contour of the hull.

3. A device for removing marine growth from ships hulls according to claim 2, wherein the means associated with said power source includes driving means in two sections for a steerable magnetic roller, manually operable steering means connected to one of said sections, the other section being in driving association with the power source, a universal joint coupling the two sections in driving relation, whereby the steering means may impart steering movement to the steerable magnetic roller without influencing the drive to the said magnetic roller.

4. A device for removing marine growth from ships hulls comprising an outer frame having end portions, brushes arranged in parallel alignment on the end portions of the frame, an inner frame having opposite ends and symmetrically disposed relative to the outer frame, means permitting a guided to-and-fro movement of the inner frame relative to the outer frame, spring means urging the brushes yieldingly towards the hull, magnetic rollers arranged parallel to one another at the ends of the inner frame, means for controlling displacement of the inner frame relative to the outer frame, means for steering the magnetic rollers, means externally disposed from said frames for effecting steering, a power source supported by said inner frame, means for imparting a rotary movement to the brushes and to the magnetic rollers associated with the said power source, and means for neutralizing the magnetic force of the magnetic rollers.

5. A device for removing marine growth from ships hulls as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for controlling displacement between the frames to permit adjustment of the displacement to compensate for wear of the brushes.

6. A device for removing growth from ships hulls according to claim 3 in which the steering means is pivotally mounted on the outer frame, a linkage connecting 15 2,104,062

the steering means to said one section of the drive means,

6 said linkage being displaceable within an opening provided in the outer frame to provide steering movement to the steerable magnetic roller.

7. A device for removing marine growth from ships hulls as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for neutralizing the magnetic force of the magnetic rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 500,976 Tangenberg July 4, 1893 860,492 Mehrtens July 16, 1907 867,513 Kennedy-McGregor Oct. 1, 1907 1,213,091 Ganz Jan. 16, 1917 Temple Jan. 4, 1938 

1. A DEVICE FOR REMOVING MARINE GROWTH FROM SHIPS'' HULLS COMPRISING AN OUTER FRAME HAVING END PORTIONS, ROTATABLE ROLLER BRUSHES MOUNTED AT THE END PORTIONS OF SAID OUTER FRAME, AN INNER FRAME WHICH IS DISPLACEABLE TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE OUTER FRAME, MAGNETIC DRIVING ROLLERS CARRIED BY SAID INNER FRAME, A POWER SOURCE SUPPORTED BY SAID INNER FRAME, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID POWER SOURCE FOR IMPARTING A ROTARY MOVEMENT TO 